The Chief Minister praised the BJP's "double-engine government" for propelling Madhya Pradesh forward rapidly.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, addressing a massive gathering of BJP workers at Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal, emphasized that the Congress party had previously labeled Madhya Pradesh as a ‘Bimaru Rajya,’ but his government successfully removed that negative reputation.
Chouhan highlighted the substantial progress made during his tenure, stating, “We have accomplished a great deal in Madhya Pradesh. Remember the dark phase when Congress had branded Madhya Pradesh as a ‘Bimaru Rajya’ (economically backward state). We have overcome that stigma. During Congress’s rule, the state had only 60,000 kilometers of dilapidated roads, whereas today, we have constructed an impressive five lakh kilometers of roads.”
The term ‘BIMARU’ has historically referred to Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, indicating their lag in economic growth, healthcare, and education.
Chouhan continued, “During the Congress era, electricity was available for only two to three hours, with a mere 2900 megawatts of power generation. Under BJP governance, the state’s power generation capacity has surged to 29,000 megawatts. Irrigation facilities covered only 7500 hectares of land, but we have expanded it to 47 lakh hectares.”
“Under Congress rule, poverty afflicted the lives of the poor, but I am proud to announce that we have uplifted 1.36 crore people above the poverty line. This remarkable achievement is attributed to the leadership of PM Modi,” he asserted.
Chouhan also criticized the 15-month rule of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government, pointing out various shortcomings. “Kamal Nath committed a grave error. PM Modi allocated houses through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, but Nath returned 2,00,000 houses. The Jal Jeevan Mission received funds from the PM, but Kamal Nath failed to initiate it. After regaining power, we ensured tap water access to 67 lakh households under the tap water scheme.”
He further highlighted, “Congress neglected the beneficiaries’ list for the Prime Minister’s Samman Nidhi, depriving farmers of their rightful benefits. When the BJP government took charge, we swiftly submitted a list of 80 lakh people to receive benefits from Kisan Samman Nidhi. Despite Congress’s previous missteps, Madhya Pradesh is now making significant strides.”
Madhya Pradesh, with 230 assembly seats, is scheduled for elections later this year. In the 2018 assembly election, the Congress came to power, led by Kamal Nath. However, the BJP formed the government in 2020 following the defection of then-Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, who, along with 22 MLAs, joined the BJP.
